


Apple Custard

by muuny



Series: Fruit and other delicious things [5]
Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Minor Mizuki/Sei (DRAMAtical Murder), Post Mpreg, also sly still being a difficult tsuntsun, big bro sei, kind of, lil baby, patient koujaku, sly being emotional about things, uncles mizu and sei helping slyjaku not kill each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 06:51:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2803490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muuny/pseuds/muuny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has taken so much time for the couple to get this far together - emotionally - and they still have more growing to do. Koujaku prays that there will come a day when Sly is able to trust him with his feelings, void of all hindering thoughts....Truth be told, Sly greatly fears that he will be an inadequate parent to Aleena, an inadequate partner to Koujaku, and, in general, an inadequate person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apple Custard

**Author's Note:**

> this may not make much if any sense to you if you haven't read the previous pieces...  
> but thank you for reading anyway ~ !! ////

(One week later...)

Koujaku sighs.

"You can't pick her up just by starin' at her, Sly."

"For the thousandth fucking time, shut _up_ , old man. _Christ_."

But Koujaku speaks the truth. As batshit crazy as Sly verily is, he does not possess the ability to levitate actual objects - or people for this matter - with just the will of his icy pupils.

A whole week has passed since Sly's... "breakthrough," if you will, and even though Sly has - in his own special way - embraced the reality that he does have a daughter, he has not held her physical body in his arms. He has cradled her spirit on numerous occasions while they dwelled and mingled in Aoba's body together, but a flesh connection will make things real, will solidify the irrefutable truth... He has a child, and her name is Aleena Seragaki.

Now do not be mistaken. It's not that Sly doesn't want to hold Aleena. He's honestly jealous of Aoba and Koujaku's bond with her. When they embrace her, it is a precious, unrivaled spectacle... She responds so well to Aoba, and now that Aoba's strength is well over ninety percent, they have been playing and bonding more than ever. She smiles at him and makes charming faces that strongly resembles her two mamas. Sly wants that, too. He wants Aleena to light up with smiles at the sight of him, and make squishy faces. Yet, he is still scared and cautious, but why, and of what?

It is Sunday, and with a day free from split ends, scissors, and nauseating fragrances wafting from his customers, Koujaku has the freedom to lounge around with his little family the whole day. Making his day a little sweeter, it is Sly who greets him that very morning with a passionate pillow beating, telling him to "back the hell up" because his tentacle-like embrace was making him too hot. They woke to an empty house with Tae and Clear out making rounds and Sei out and about doing who knows what with Mizuki; it is days like this Koujaku would not trade for the world.

It is also noon in the Seragaki household, and still, Sly has not made any initiative to have physical connection with their baby. Koujaku bathed her, fed her, and clothed her earlier that morning with Sly awkwardly observing from a distance like some jealous cat. Koujaku, for the umpteenth time, coaxingly suggested that Sly cradle her once and for all. The man longs to witness this pivital moment in time with his hot-headed lover. He is pushy with his suggestions at times - though it will be a paramount moment for Sly.

For all of them.

So, presently, the trio is settled in the living area on the spacious sofa. Aleena's quilt is spread over one whole cushion, and she rests atop it, propped on her back. Koujaku hovers over her, alternating between cooing at her and endeavoring to tame her wild, thickening ringlets of deep violet with her specialized brush. She squirms in mild displeasure at nearly every stroke. Sly absent-mindly taps away at his device; his eyes are focused entirely on the wriggly bundle dressed in a soft pink romper.

And that is when Koujaku tells Sly it's going to require a bit more than his eyes to place her in his arms. They carry on from there.

"She doesn't bite - yet - if that's what you're afraid of," Koujaku jokes, and Aleena closes it with an infant sneeze, " _Oh, bless you dear..._ It doesn't hurt to bond with her."

"I am bonding with her. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Eyeing her from across the room and pretending to be on your coil isn't 'bonding.' The least you can do is look at her properly--"

"--I'll do it when I wanna do it," snaps Sly.

A sigh of agitation leaves Koujaku. The warm pocket of air falls and skips about Aleena's cheeks. She chirps again, a tight sneeze, and Papajaku lifts her and places her on his chest, filling the mold. She naturally drops her head upon his broad shoulder.

"Bless you... I hope you're not comin' down with something," comments Koujaku, rubbing her lower back. Sly shifts his golden eyes in his lover's direction, and an identical, shiny duo stares him down just as fervently. With her tiny fist balled against her father's shoulder, Aleena peers at Sly with the stare of an infant. That unmoving kind of stare. Sly squints at his daughter, attempting to be somewhat playful. Aoba made a comment about it, but Sly can see for himself that her skin is actually beginning to darken, taking up Koujaku's soft, natural tan. She's a cute kid.

"Just what are you lookin' at?" Sly asks her. She blinks slowly.

"If anyone should be asking that, it's Aleena," Koujaku chuckles, "she's probably wondering why you've been giving her the death glare these past couple o' days, or why you haven't held her yet."

"Eh. She'll get over it."

"What mother doesn't hold their child?"

"I'm not a 'mother,' first of all. And I thought I told you to--"

A pair of knocks can be heard loud and clear from where they're settled. Sly pops up to answer, hoping to dodge any more of Koujaku's ridiculous inquiries. Mizuki and Sei have returned from a mid-afternoon date. It appears that they've done a little light shopping, too: Sei has a few paper bags in his clutches.

"When the hell did you tip out?" Sly inquires specifically to his brother, stepping aside to allow the pair inside.

Sei removes his boots, placing them beside Mizuki's, "And good afternoon to you, too, Sly," and pecks his twin's cheek with puckered lips, completely ignoring his question. Everyone conjugates in the cozy living room.

"Sup, Pops," greets Mizuki, plopping beside his old friend. Sei takes up the spot to be cozy with his beau, and Sly occupies the other end of the couch.

"Heeey, welcome back!" Koujaku returns with a broad grin. Aleena fans her lashes to her tanned uncle from over her father's shoulder. Her lips seem to twitch with smiles.

Sei beams, "She's smiling at you, Mizuki."

"Oooh~?" Mizu-oji-chan leans into his adopted niece's face, "Hello, pretty girl. Are you smiling at uncle Mizu~? _Oooh, you aaare~ I see you~_ "

Koujaku gently hands her off to him, Mizuki accepting her into his perfectly cradled arms. Aleena squirms into his warmth, and Mizuki adjusts himself accordingly.

"She's gettin' heavy," he comments, bouncing her lightly a couple times.

"She's been eating a whole lot more," Koujaku explains. She was born premature; keeping and putting weight on her is a priority that must be seriously heeded.

Mizuki laughs, "S'that so. Hopefully she won't be a fatass like her mama."

" _Mizuki_ ," Sei hisses. Sly stabs him with a single golden glance.

"Suck my dick, Mizuki."

" _Sly_ ," Koujaku hisses.

"That's him startin' shit."

"Anyway," Sei scoops out one of the articles of clothing from a cream shopping bag, "on our way back from the cafe, we stopped by that baby outlet a few blocks down and found so many cute things for Aleena." He turns toward his twin and introduces him to his frilly purchases: dresses, nighties, socks, and a pair of animal caps. Mizuki grins at the garments.

"Once he saw them, there was no stopping him."

"They're gorgeous," Koujaku comments, impressed with the array.

Sly inspects them, "She's not even close to wearing all the shit we got from bunny boy."

"I knooow, but she is a girl after all. She can never have too many clothes, right?"

"Can she fit them, though?" Mizuki mentions, still alluding to his previous fat joke. Sly's lips separate to probably bite him, but Koujaku cleverly cuts him off.

"That's actually a great question, Mizuki," Koujaku brings his Cheshire grin to his lover, "Sly, why don't you dress her up?"

Sly turns away from the smile, lighting up, "That's unnecessary."

"I-I made sure I chose the right sizes," jitters Sei to himself. Mizuki lightly drums Aleena's pink cheeks with his pointer finger.

"Yeah, I was just teasin'. We double-checked the sizes and everything so they should all fit right."

"But I think it'd be cute to see her dolled up in her new outfits. Don't you think so, babe? You should really dress her up."

Sly narrows his eyes to the hairdresser, clearly getting piqued. The air about both couples is thick and uncomfortably syrupy.

"Koujaku."

Koujaku knows what he's doing. He knows.

"It's just putting clothes on her," he says with a shrug.

" _Koujaku_."

"You can't even dress her? Is that what I'm hearing?"

Sly, astonishingly, shoots to his feet and silently storms upstairs without another word breathed. Uncles Sei and Mizuki observe the phenomenon from their front-row seats. Aleena's golden rings do their best to follow the sudden blue blur.

Koujaku sighs for maybe the ninetieth, pinching the skin just above the bridge of his nose.

He fucked up.

"Uhm..." Sei begins cautiously. He's unable to look away from the stairway. Mizuki's gaze zips from the stairway to his friend until it dizzes him.

"So. I'm incredibly lost. Koujaku? Mind enlightening us on what the hell just happened?"

Koujaku pinches the skin tighter.

"I went too far," he vaguely responds.

"'Went too far?' You asked him to dress her up and he acted like it was the end of the world."

"Has something happened?" questions a bemused Sei, still concentrated on the stairway. He does not stay to hear the rest of Koujaku's explanation; he feels himself being drawn - _beckoned_ up the stairs, specifically by the threads of his heart. They were once entwinned physically, but there still exists a bond betwixt the two that nearly transcends telepathy. Sei knows and feels that his brother is in distress, and like the good older sibling he is, he begins up the stairway right after him.

 

(Aoba/Sly's Room...)

 

"Sly?" Sei softly calls, tipping inside of the room.

Sly quite childishly log rolls about the bed until his nose is practically a breath away from the wall.

"Whaaaaaat?"

"Is... everything all right?" Sei secures the door behind him.

"C'mon, Sei. I know you're smarter than that. Lock the door."

And Sei locks it, "I-I know. I just don't want to force you to talk about something that you clearly don't wish to talk about," Sei sits on the edge of the bed, "...but I don't like seeing you unhappy, either."

Sly feels a couple fingers play with his high ponytail. It's a pleasant sensation; Sei is pretty much the only person that is able to do that without being lashed out at.

"Has everything been alright with you and Koujaku lately?"

"I'm fine. He's the one being an asshole."

"How so?"

"By being an asshole," Sly repeats, dodging the core of his agitation altogether.

"...Are you sure you're okay?"

"......."

"Does... whatever this is have anything to do with your daughter?"

"He's the one making a big fuckin' deal out of it."

And Sly explains the situation to his twin; every word is coaxed out of him by Sei's sweeping fingers. It's bewitchingly lulling, and someway somehow, Sly finds that he is laying his head on his older brother's upper thigh. Sei is definitely eating it up, but he is ever the more worried for his twin. Sly is truly troubled if he is allowing himself to be this intimate. Sei's fingers continue to fiddle with the captive locks of Sly's ponytail.

"It's great that you have finally accepted that Aleena is not only Koujaku and Aoba's daughter, but your daughter, too. It was a big hurdle for you, and I'm proud of you for overcoming it. Though you do say that you haven't held her, and it's obviously getting to you. And to him."

"Koujackoff's teasing isn't making it any better," adds Sly.

"You're afraid of something. That's what I sense."

"I mean... I guess."

"Either you guess, or you are."

"............."

Sei chortles at his difficult brother, "I assume that's an 'are.'"

Sly throws his hands up, "Well I assume it is. You can be a smart ass sometimes."

"They say admittance is the first step," and Sei tenderly pets the crown of his grumpy brother's head, "and it's only because I love and care about you. Now, you just have to discover what it is that you're afraid of, and just be willing to verbalize and come to terms with it."

"I don't see how I can do that when I don't even understand it myself."

"Understand what?"

"Why I'm so... reluctant to touch her."

Sei stops patting to dig into his thoughts.

"Hmm... You did - sort of - confess that you are afraid. And you say you're hesistant to be physical with her... From what I gather, could it be that you've become fixed on the idea that you may harm her one day?"

"'Harm her?'" Sly repeats, trying to imagine the words on his tongue.

"Or perhaps it stems deeper than that. A physical bond begets an emotional one. That would mean you are also hesistant to connect with her on an emotional level. Ah. It could be that you are afraid of getting close to her... I do recall Koujaku mentioning something about you being terrified of Aleena being taken from you."

"I was not 'terrified,'" Sly passionately defends with a grown pout, "was that the word he used?"

"I can't remember word for word, but it was something like that."

" _...I wasn't terrified_."

"Terrified or not, your emotional and therefore physical bond with your daughter is nonexistent."

"And s'not like I'm doing it on purpose. I... I want that bond... with her..."

Sei's thin lips dip south.

"And I'm sure she wants that with you, too. What is it that's hindering you?"

 

(Living Area...)

 

"So the root of this whole situation is that Sly hasn't held her since she was born? That's what I'm getting from what you told me," Mizuki explains to Koujaku.

"Yeah. And he's really touchy about it. _Really_ touchy."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"That's what I'd like to know. It's always somethin' with him. But, regardless of that, I knew that what I said would piss him off to some degree, so it was wrong of me to tease him like that. I should be more patient."

"I'm sure that there's a legitimate reason. Sly can surely be a hard ass, but he wouldn't just not touch his own daughter over some bull," Mizuki's light-colored eyes line up with Aleena's restless pair of gold, and it sprouts a smile on his lips, "He's never been this........... humble. He's a whole different person now... a better person, I'd say. Thanks to you and Aleena."

Koujaku smiles brightly to his daughter, habitually curling her wispy strands about his finger. He knows that's the truth. He's a witness to Sly's metamorphosis, and it's been a beautiful one. A bit clumsy and trying, but nevertheless, a beautiful one.

"You said it right, though. Patience. That's all I can recommend for you when dealing with him. Be patient, and be patient some more. When he tells you to listen, listen. Don't speak. And don't press him for information. When he doesn't want to talk about something, or confront something, do not try to squeeze it out o' him. You'll only succeed in pissing him off. He'll talk when he wants to talk, and respect that."

"It's good to be reminded every now and then. I hate that I had let my own desires get in the way of Sly's feelings. He's so fiesty that I easily forget how sensitive he actually is," and for the past minute Koujaku has tried to lay down Aleena's curl that his finger he created, but it continues to spring up, so he forfeits with a sigh, "the only thing left to do now is grovel for forgiveness, I guess."

"And pray that you won't get eaten," Mizuki tacks on with a snigger.

"Aren't you shocked that I haven't been eaten already?"

"You must be doing somethin' right."

"I suppose so," and Koujaku stands resolutely, "Alright. Let's get this over with. I'll be back down. Hopefully he'll speak to me."

"Good luck," Aleena gurgles quite loudly in the middle of Mizuki's statement, "and I'll watch her for ya."

"If she gets too squirmish there's a half-eaten bottle in the fridge. Feed her that one."

"Roger."

Koujaku parts his daughter with a delicate stroke to her crown and hastily climbs the stairs. The noises from his steps attracts Aleena's attention; her eyes shift curiously toward their direction. Mizuki taps her tinted cheeks to regain her focus.

"Don't worry, doll. He'll be back. Maybe Mama won't bite off Papa's head."

 

(Aoba/Sly's Room...)

 

"Sly?" Koujaku's knocking brings both pairs of eyes to the closed door, "Sly, open up." Sly rolls his eyes.

"No. Fuck off," he bellows.

"Sly!" Sei huffs, the onyx in his eyes gleaming with concern, "Don't be so intolerant. Koujaku may have come to apologize!"

"I don't wanna hear it."

"Sly, don't be this way. You both need to patch things up."

"'Both' is plural: I did absolutely nothing wrong. This is all his doing."

"...True. But at least give him a chance to explain himself."

"I don't need him to explain. He's explained enough."

"So you're not going to open the door?"

"Obviously _not_."

"But you obviously want to see him."

"I obviously don't."

Sei's tone dips into a deeper region.

" _Brother_."

Sly weaves his arms one over the other, shutting his eyes and bending his eyebrows. He's done discussing it. He refuses to burn one calorie in order to give Koujaku passage. Sei is clearly displeased with his younger twin's attitude, but he certainly feels the frustration emanating from him as if it were directly leaking from the pores of his fair skin. He hates seeing Sly like this.

"Then if you don't open it, I will."

Sei rises, Sly's head flopping abruptly onto the mattress of the bed. The latter observes from his position his brother approaching the barrier.

" _Sei_ ," Sly grumps.

Sei is two steps from the door.

"Sei, don't."

"This'll be good for you."

"Sei, _don't you open that door_."

Sei clutches the door knob; he throws a sweet, all-knowing smile over his shoulder.

"You'll be fine."

With a soft twist, Sei pulls open the door. Koujaku is indeed standing firm on the other side.

"Ah, Sei. Thanks."

"You're welcome," and Sei pokes him right in the sternum, "but I've done my part. You've got some work to do. Good luck~"

The eldest twin departs just as silently as he came. Koujaku shuts the door, ensuring privacy. Cautious, his eyes float and settle onto the human lump laid upon the bed. Sly's slender backside is on full display. He's face to face with the wall again, just a nod of his head away from bumping it with the tip of his nose. If Koujaku didn't know any better, Sly's body posture blatantly lets him know he is upset with him at the moment. The view was nice, though. Winter is still young, but it is considerably nippy out. That doesn't stop Sly from wearing cotton shorts whose hems stop mid-thigh. Koujaku harps at him for wearing such inappropriate clothing for the weather, but his legs are alluring all year round. His skin's always retained this beautiful, fleshy hue.

But Koujaku - rather begrudgingly - overlooks his lover's cuddle-worthy appearance to handle the current situation. He walks to the edge of the bed and lifts his right leg in preparation to climb aboard. He stops suddenly. Perhaps he should call his name first...

"Sly."

"Fuck off, Koujaku." It sounds much louder, the wall aiding in strengthening the sound waves as they bounce off of it.

"Sly, _please_."

"Seriously. Fuck off."

"Babe."

"I'm really not in the mood for more of your slick-ass jokes."

"I-- _Sly_. Baby, I'm sorry for all that back there."

"You're not fuckin' sorry. You knew what you were doing. You knew exactly what you were doing. Fuck you, and get outta my room."

"But it's... kind of our room...?"

"No. It's _my_ room right now. When you wanna act like a smart ass and make smart ass jokes, that's when it becomes my room. And I don't want you in it right now. So fuck off."

"Heh. Now we're both stubborn, so you're gonna have to drag me out."

Sly actually sits up. His irises appear ignited.

"You're really gonna challenge me right now?" he asks.

"You won't do it," Koujaku counters confidently.

"Oh I won't?"

"No. You won't."

Sly pops to his knees on the bed, all five fingers of his right hand fixed into a formidable claw as it thrust forth in Koujaku's direction. Unfortunately for him, the latter's reflexes are on point. Koujaku clasps snugly about Sly's wrist and exerts all of his weight forward until, ultimately, his body becomes a human paper weight and Sly is the withering sheet of paper beneath him. Be it so, Sly does not give in. He fights ardently to regain his freedom, even without the use of his hands. Koujaku has them luckily pinned above his head while the remainder of Sly's body attempts to throw his mate off the bed with the violent thrashing of his frame.

And Koujaku does not let go. He growls for Sly to stop this nonsense, but it gives him more fuel to resist. But all fuel must burn out eventually, and it does for Sly. He burns through his energy reserves quickly after using every bit of it to fruitlessly buck Koujaku off of him. He very well could have with it being such a small bed for two grown-ass men bodies to accommodate. But he doesn't need to depend on that alone: Sly has an ace. He abruptly stills, glaring darts at the one above as his chest rises and falls. Koujaku smirks.

"Had enough?"

Koujaku barely gets that last syllable off his tongue before it is literally swallowed up by the vengeful man below. They shift from tangling bodies to tangling tongues. Koujaku is thrown off for a brief moment, but he melts into the new rhythm. Sly's got him right where he wants. The plan is to launch his ass off the bed the instant he senses Koujaku becoming distracted.

That doesn't happen. The plan backfires, because the couple tongue wrestles uninterrupted for maybe a whole minute with Sly arching into every hot kiss. Sly trusted that he wielded enough discipline to not succumb to Koujaku's just as talented set of lips, but discipline is something Sly's never possessed very much of, if he ever possessed it at all. He miscalculated, in short, but this is not a bad thing.

They begin the kiss as if it is a personal mission to get the other to surrender - and it is - but it mellows and sweetens with Koujaku taking the lead and steadily dousing the wild fire set ablaze in Sly with each and every wet stroke. His tongue caresses all the right spots; Sly's impulsive whimpers fleeing from the edges of their lips give that away. There's not much else he can do physically speaking while his wrists are still bound, but it adds to his pleasure in more ways than one. A tiny but notable arch has risen in his back, and it would be obvious to anyone who stumbled in that Sly was undoubtedly turned on.

Though he is the one that transformed the smooch into something so sweet, Koujaku is also the one to end it all, sealing everything away with the softest kiss he has bestowed upon Sly's rosy, shining lips since the start of the ordeal.

"Why... does it always come to this?" Koujaku finally asks in a hush, sounding as if he'd just jogged around the house with his breath held in his lungs.

"Hn. Huh?" Sly doesn't hear him over the cacophony of his own panting, rapid heartbeat, and veins pulsing throughout his skull.

"Why must I always have to pin you down in order to kiss you?"

Sly actually blushes - an honest blush - as he takes air. He peers to the left. He suddenly feels naked. The exposed naked. Again, the man speaks the truth. Their recent lip locks were all spawned by emotional outbursts or challenges set by either of the two. It's kinda fucked up. They spend a couple long seconds to regulate their hearts and breathing. He almost feels ashamed for the leg that somehow snaked up Koujaku's waist.

"Look, that's something for a different day. I didn't come up here to anger you, or wrestle with you. I just want to talk."

"..."

"Or... If you don't want to talk to me about this issue, I understand, and I will respect that. But please hear me out. I was wrong to pressure you, Sly. And I admit, I have been a dick about this subject for the past week, and I also apologize for not being as patient as I should with you. I don't understand why it upsets you so, and I don't have to right now. I am not going to push you into giving me answers. You can do that when you feel you can."

Koujaku's right hand smoothly slides up Sly's palm, fingers branching out. He grasps Sly's hand, making more space between them as he slightly rises off of his partner. 

"But I will tell you, there's nothing to be uncertain about."

".......You sure about that?"

Koujaku is surprised by his sudden ragged response. He was originally prepared to give a lengthier monologue before expecting anything out of the other's mouth.

"Mm? Sure about what?"

Sly observes the seldom sight of Koujaku's disorderly tresses instead of the striking crimson jewels that are his eyes. With much of his oxygen returned, he continues.

"...You sure that... she won't mind havin' a psycho for a parent?"

"'Psycho?'"

Sly lips purse tightly. Koujaku chuckles.

"Dear, you are not a psycho."

"I've fucked up a lot of shit."

"But you are not a _psycho_ , Sly," Koujaku replies, releasing Sly's other wrist to pet the crown of his head, "if you'd like to be realistic, you're... maybe a bit... hotheaded and rough around the edges, but that's your charm. That's what I love. And you're not alone: everyone has a past. We both have questionable pasts, but we are going to move past them. We've resolved some issues, grown wiser, and we have a new baby together. Aleena doesn't know about all that I've done and that you've done, but even if she did, she will love you all the same. Because you are her mother."

Sly has heard Koujaku affectionately refer to him as "mother" and "Mama" incalculable times, but this particular time he feels something within his heart pop, and a rushing sensation of liquid fire breach all corners and curves of his body.

He _is_ a mother.

"Come to think of it, you both are alike more than you know. She has some of your mannerisms. Whenever she doesn't get her bottles when she wants them, or when she's disgusted, she makes these faces, gets livid, and throws a fit. She'll scrunch her face up just like you and it gets me every time because it reminds me of you. She's particular like you, too, wanting things in a certain way. She's almost a month old and she's already picky," Koujaku meddles with some freelance strands that escaped his love's ponytail in their tussle, "I see Aoba in her, too, but I also see you. And I want you to see her and learn more of her, too. Don't become so occupied about whether or not you'll be a great parent. It'll come to you. It's all natural--"

"--But I--"

Koujaku pauses his lips and thoughts, giving Sly time to organize his sentence. He patiently watches Sly's incisors nibble on his upper lip and the rivulets of peach bleeding to the surface of his cheeks.

It has taken so much time for the couple to get this far together - emotionally - and they still have more growing to do. Koujaku prays that there will come a day when Sly is able to trust him with his feelings, void of all hindering thoughts. He wants to see the day when Sly completely opens up to him. When Sly becomes vulnerable and makes the choice himself to confide in him.

That's requesting very much of Sly at this point in their relationship, though this occurrence is exceptionally rare. If the pair was in the same situation months ago, Koujaku would probably be leaving the room with pulsing claw marks all over his face.

Such is not the case now: Sly is actually - willingly - allowing a peek inside of his mind... and his heart. That reality alone touches Koujaku. They've come a long, long way. He beams to his flustered mate, planting that same smile on his brow.

"Don't force yourself."

And Sly ejects a sigh of relief, the coolness of Koujaku's lips is refreshing and reassuring. He wants, honestly, to be capable of sharing various pieces of himself - his core - with the man he treasures. Frustration grips him at times when he is unable to give a voice to his most sentimental feelings and thoughts, but Koujaku lets him know that there is no rush. He will remain by his side, ready or not.

Truth be told, Sly greatly fears that he will be an inadequate parent to Aleena, an inadequate partner to Koujaku, and, in general, an inadequate person. But little by little, those around him have blessed him with nuggets of wisdom, encouragement, reassurance, and love. Aoba reminds Sly at every chance to tell himself that he is deserving of everything that has been placed in his life. It is taking a good while for that idea to permeate his skull, but Sly is progressively opening himself up to all of these wonderful happenings.  
The warm hue glowing on Sly's visage moves Koujaku to a grand smile.

"Are you all cooled off now?" he questions.

" _Tch_. For now."

Koujaku dips his happily-curved lips low, pecking his mate's jaw once and the underside of it twice. It tickles, but Sly refuses to let him in on it, of course.

"I'll strive to always keep you happy," he throatily mutters straight into his ear. Sly cannot hide the mini tremor that rolls down his spine just as effortlessly as the spoken words rolls off Koujaku's lips. The latter watches as it travels through his body, all the way to the tips of his toenails. Sly looses a quiet sigh of sheer contentment...

That man does not know just how happy he's already made him.

 

(Downstairs, Living Area...)

 

"Oh~ Here comes Papa and Mama!" Sei announces to his niece, the little latter clad in a snowy nightgown.

"And in one piece," chimes Mizuki.

The couples are reunited on the couch. Sly sits adjacent to his elder brother; the twins are snug and situated in the middle. Mizuki and Koujaku are occupying the end seats. The atmosphere's thickness from before has sensibly dissolved.

"Yup. All is well now," Koujaku proclaims, his right arm winding around Sly's waist, "ain't that right?" Sly accepts the public kiss to his cheek.

"You got off this time."

The four all then turn their attention to Aleena to admire her nightgown. She is supported by Sei as he has her sitting straight up in his lap. Indeed, it is white, sleeveless and embroidered with purple lace. It's a stark and beautiful contrast to her slightly darker skin. Mizuki, Sei, and Koujaku collectively coo at how precious she is in her new nightie. Aleena's golden spheres tumble to the three of them, soaking up the praise and partially overwhelmed by all three beaming faces.

"Oi. You," Sly peeps to her.

Silence. The cooing stops. Mizuki and Sei switch ganders of awe. They peer back and forth from Sly to Aleena. Koujaku swallows, tongue to palate, nervously anticipating his lover's following moves.

She is suckling intensely on her two forefingers, but when Sly cuts into her personal space, she directs most of her energy unto observing him. They engage in a very concentrated stare until Sly finally huffs, "Your hair is ridiculous."

It is. She has a nest of well-defined curls. They just decide to sprout and loosely spiral wherever they please and in no specific pattern. It is a nightmare for her father who hopes that it'll end when she finally grows out the rest of her baby hair as she ages. It's cute, in an unorganized way.

After the random statement, Aleena puts her round eyes on Sly. And her cheeks bunch up. Her eyes slim into tiny, gleaming slits of gold. And it is the very first time Sly has ever witnessed his daughter smile towards him.

He emits the softest audible gasp.

His heart leaps.

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to post this by Aleena's birthday but there is no such thing as a met deadline with [me](http://prettysoldierbee.tumblr.com). also finals happened. 
> 
> again, thank you for taking the time to read this mess i dunno /////////


End file.
